All-star gerrymandering throw down
Gerrymandering is a time-honored American sport, but it doesn’t always create the kind of buzz it’s getting this week.
Texas legislators, on orders from President Donald Trump, are proposing to redraw districts five years early in order to basically acquire all districts in the state for the Republican Party. If Texas succeeds, that puts blue states at a disadvantage, because they will still have some red districts.
The Texas move could protect Republican control of the U.S. House where the GOP has only a seven seat majority.
In an effort to thwart the Republican take-over of Texas, on Sunday 50 Democratic legislators fled to blue states, including Illinois, to deny a quorum and prevent the Texas House from voting on the plan. Illinois, of course, is one of the most gerrymandered blue states in the nation.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker welcomed the Texas refugees with open arms. U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who represents Homewood and Flossmoor and has announced a run for U.S. Senate, also expressed support for her southern colleagues.
“I’m proud to stand with the courageous Texas Democrats who have come to Illinois to break quorum and stop this assault on voting rights. Some of my most experienced and effective colleagues could lose their seats entirely with this nonsense and we cannot stand for it or normalize it.
“Our democracy is under attack like never before, and our country needs Democrats to stand up and fight back. I’ve been fighting to protect, expand and preserve voting rights for decades, and I will continue to fight to strengthen our democracy in the United States Senate,” Kelly said in a statement issued Monday.
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Illinois Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton, who are competing with Kelly for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Dick Durban’s retirement, weighed in, too.
Krishnamoorthi said the Texas move is an indication Republicans are starting to panic about the possibility of Democrats regaining control of the House next year.
“The truth is that Republicans are afraid that they’re going to lose the next election – if it’s fair. Instead of letting voters decide, Texas Republicans want to bend the knee to Trump’s authoritarian agenda,” he said in an email to supporters.
Stratton expressed support for a redistricting response from Illinois if the Texas move succeeds.
“If Trump and Texas Republicans won’t play by the rules, we will look at every option available to stop their extreme power grab, and nothing will be off the table,” she said.
For those who don’t follow the politics of district design, gerrymandering was named for early 19th century Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry, who reportedly didn’t like the practice but got saddled with it as his legacy. It is the process of manipulating legislative districts to favor one party or the other. Both parties participate in the process, which has long been described as politicians choosing their voters rather than voters choosing their representatives.
California Gov. Gavin Newsome responded to the Texas plan by promising to turn his state entirely Democratic. Other blue states could follow. And other red states could emulate Texas, thus producing an accelerating downward spiral for democracy. The Republicans are bringing the fire. The Democrats are saying they will fight fire with fire.
Fire tends to burn stuff down. Like the House. Like democracy.
Gerrymandering is inherently anti-democracy. It’s a flaw in the system. Allowing partisan elected officials to have control over redistricting, which they can use to further cement their party’s power, was a bad idea. The only way out, I suspect, is to create a national independent redistricting agency (with strict ethics rules, not guidelines, like in the pirate’s code in “Pirates of the Caribbean”) to ensure a level playing field that would return the selection of representatives to the people being represented.
That isn’t likely to happen any time soon because of … gerrymandering. We’ve painted ourselves into a corner (and the walls are on fire).
2nd District campaign update
Retired U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush continued his push for former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to launch a campaign for his old 2nd District seat. On Sunday, Aug. 3, he led the launch of the Friends of Jesse Jackson Jr. for Congress 2026 Exploratory Committee at an event in Dolton.
Jackson previously represented the people of the district from 1995 until 2012. In a news release, Jackson said he asked the committee to start collecting signatures needed to place his name on the ballot.
Donna Miller, 6th District Cook County Commissioner, who represents Homewood, has been busy with county business and with her campaign for the 2nd District seat. She held a campaign fundraiser at Glenwood Oaks on July 30 and is planning her fifth annual golf outing on Sept. 12 at Glenwoodie Golf Club, which will serve as a celebration of her decision to run for U.S. House.
Miller also recently received thanks from Sertoma Star Services for her visit to the organization to present a resolution in honor of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in Cook County.
Miller has been endorsed by a number of south suburban elected officials, including Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld and Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson.
Yumeka Brown announced her candidacy for 2nd District on May 21. On July 9 she reaffirmed that decision and on July 20 she held a campaign kick-off fundraiser at Red Star in Matteson. She currently serves as village clerk in Matteson and as a member of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District board.
Brown presided over the Rich Township Democratic Organization’s candidate forum at Victory Apostolic Church in Matteson. The event featured five candidates for the U.S. Senate seat left open by Dick Durbin’s retirement, including Robin Kelly, Julianna Stratton and Raja Krishnamoorthi, Anthony Williams and John Shepherd.
Robert Peters’ campaign announced on July 21 that Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle had endorsed his bid for 2nd District representative.
“Robert Peters has been one of my most trusted partners in the state legislature. There is no stronger advocate for working people, for social justice and for economic fairness than Robert,” Preckwinkle said.
Peters currently represents the 13th District in the Illinois Senate.
Senate race endorsements
Gun violence prevention organization Brady PAC announced on July 30 that it would endorse Robin Kelly for U.S. Senate. In the news release, the organization said it rarely makes endorsements in competitive Senate races, but cited “Kelly’s exemplary record and proven national leadership fighting for gun violence survivors and passing commonsense gun legislation” for its decision to do so.
“We do not take this step lightly,” said Kris Brown, board chair of Brady PAC and president of Brady. “Congresswoman Kelly’s exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to gun violence prevention is unmatched. She is one of the only elected officials in the country who has stood up to the gun lobby and won.”
Delphine Cherry of Hazel Crest, a Brady Illinois advocate and gun violence survivor who lost both of her children – Tyesa and Tyler – to gun violence, also praised Kelly and the endorsement.
“Robin Kelly has walked with survivors of gun violence in our pain and in our darkest hours. She has prayed with us, fought for us, and stood beside us long after the headlines faded. She doesn’t just talk about ending gun violence, she lives that mission every day. I can think of no one more deserving of our trust, our vote, and our support than Robin Kelly.”
In June the Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Rising & Empowering Political Action Committee (ASPIRE PAC) announced its endorsement of Raja Krishnamoorthi for the U.S. Senate. ASPIRE PAC is the political arm of the Democratic Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Members of Congress.
The news release notes that Krishnamoorthi made history in 2017 as the first person of South Asian descent to represent Illinois in Congress.
“Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi is the kind of leader who doesn’t just talk about getting things done — he rolls up his sleeves and makes it happen,” ASPIRE PAC Chair Marilyn Strickland said. “We can trust him to stand up for small businesses working hard to get by and stand against extremists who want to roll back our rights.”
Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton got a big endorsement immediately after she announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate in April. Gov. J.B. Pritzker offered his support.
“She is truly one of the most accomplished people that’s ever held the job of lieutenant governor,” Pritzker said.
In mid-July, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch added another big name to her endorsement list.
According to a WGN story, Welch said, ““I know Juliana Stratton is the fighter we need in Washington because I’ve seen her be the fighter we need in Springfield.”
